Mel Kiper's early 2018 draft prospect board features 41 SEC players

Looking ahead to the 2018 NFL Draft, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper released his list of early top prospects Friday. No surprise, the Southeastern Conference is well represented.

While the league is getting touted as an up and coming conference in terms of quarterback play, Kiper doesn’t have a single SEC signal caller listed among his Top 10 prospects. Some of that has to do with the younger quarterbacks not being eligible for the upcoming draft, while others may not have quite enough film to evaluate as a top NFL prospects heading into the summer.

In total, Kiper lists out 41 SEC prospects in his early list. The ESPN draft analyst broke each position down by his Top 5 seniors and his Top 5 underclassmen. Kiper’s full list can be found here.

Running backs:

Seniors:

#1 Nick Chubb – Georgia

#4 Sony Michel – Georgia

#5 Ralph Webb – Vanderbilt

Underclassmen

#2 Derrius Guice – LSU

#3 Bo Scarbrough – Alabama

#4 Kam Pettway – Auburn

#5 Damien Harris – Alabama

Fullbacks:

Seniors:

#5 J.D. Moore – LSU

Underclassmen:

#3 Chandler Cox – Auburn

Wide Receivers:

Seniors:

#2 D.J. Chark – LSU

Underclassmen:

#1 Christian Kirk – Texas A&M

#2 Calvin Ridley – Alabama

#3 Antonio Callaway – Florida

Tight Ends:

Seniors:

#3 DeAndre Goolsby – Florida

Underclassmen:

#2 C.J. Conrad – Kentucky

#5 Hayden Hurst – South Carolina

Guards:

Seniors:

#4 Braden Smith – Auburn

Underclassmen:

#2 Martez Ivey – Florida

#3 William Clapp – LSU

#4 Ross Pierschbacher – Alabama

Centers:

Seniors:

#1 Martinas Rankin – Mississippi State

#2 Frank Ragnow – Arkansas

#3 Bradley Bozeman – Alabama

Defensive Ends:

Seniors:

#2 Da’Shawn Hand – Alabama

Defensive Tackles:

Underclassmen:

#3 Da’Ron Payne – Alabama

#4 Trent Thompson – Georgia

Inside Linebackers:

Seniors:

#2 Shaun Dion Hamilton – Alabama

#4 Rashaan Evans – Alabama

Outside Linebackers:

Seniors:

#3 Marquis Haynes – Ole Miss

Underclassmen:

#1 Arden Key – LSU

#4 Denzil Ware – Kentucky

Cornerbacks:

Seniors:

#2 Anthony Averett – Alabama

#4 Donovan Wilson – Texas A&M

Underclassmen:

#1 Minkah Fitzpatrick – Alabama

Safeties:

Underclassmen:

#2 Ronnie Harrison – Alabama

Kickers:

Seniors:

#1 Daniel Carlson – Auburn

#3 Gary Wunderlich – Ole Miss

Underclassmen:

#1 Eddy Pineiro – Florida

Punters:

Seniors:

#1 JK Scott – Alabama

#2 Johnny Townsend – Florida

#3 Trevor Daniel – Tennessee

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com